Appendix:Malay words of Tamil origin

This article lists down Malay words that are derived from Tamil. There maybe lack of direct peer reviewed references for the individual words.

People from various parts of Indian Subcontinent have been in communication with South East Asia for several millennia, influences of various Indian languages can been in Malay. Moreover Tamil, a language of distant antiquity, while influencing other Indian languages has also been influenced in turn by other languages of India. Hence the term Tamil used in this article, must be taken to mean words found in Tamil and not necessarily of words of pure Tamil origins but not words that exist in both Malay and Tamil but the Malay word did not originate through Tamil.

Several words are bound to have their origin from Sanskrit or Pali derived into Malay through Tamil and are cognates in other Asian languages. Sanskrit and Tamil have coexisted for so long in India that it is often difficult to separate which word originated from which language. You can find similar words in Thai, Sinhala, Hindi etc. Malayalam may have got them from Tamil.

Malay terms derived from Tamil

A

• acuan from அச்சு (accu).
• agama from ஆகமம் (ākamam).
• agung from கோன் (kōṉ).
• ajar from ஆசிரியர் (āciriyar).
• aksara from அக்ஷரம் (akṣaram).
• alun from அலை (alai).
• ambalan from அம்பலம் (ambalam).
• aneka from அநேகம் (anēkam).
• angkasa from ஆகாசம் (ākācam).
• anju from உஞற்று (uñaṟṟu).

B

• bahasa from . Tamil pAsai ', pecchu பேச்சு meaning Language
• bahaya from . Tamil abAyam அபாயம் meaning danger
• bambu from . Tamil vEmbu வேம்பு meaning Neem Tree
• bayu from . Tamil/Sanskrit vahyu meaning wind, air or gas
• bumi from . Tamil bumi பூமி meaning Land or Earth

C

• cakera from . Tamil cakkaram சக்கரம் meaning Wheel
• candu from . Tamil candu சண்டு meaning Opium
• cat from . Tamil cAti (cati-ttal) சாதி meaning "To paint"
• catur from . Tamil caturanggam சதுரங்கம் meaning Chess
• cekah from . Tamil cukir சுகிர் meaning split
• culan from . Tamil cholan சோழன் meaning a Royal Title used by the Chola Kings

D

• denda from . Tamil dhandam meaning fine.
• derma from . Tamil dharmam meaning Donation
• desa from . Tamil desam meaning Country
• dirgahayu from . Tamil tirkkAyusu meaning live for long time

E

• eka from . Tamil Eka meaning One, Sole

G

• gagak from . Tamil kAkkA meaning Crow
• gajah from . Tamil gajam meaning Elephant
• ganja from . Tamil kanja meaning Cannabis

I

• isteri from . Tamil istri meaning Lady or Wife

J

• jiwa from . Tamil jeevan meaning Soul
• jaya from . Tamil 'Jeyam meaning victory

K

• kapal from . Tamil kappal meaning Ship
• kari from . Tamil kaRi meaning meat
• katil from . Tamil kattil meaning bed
• Kedah from . Tamil KadAram a state in Malaysia
• kedai from . Tamil kadai meaning shop
• keldai from . Tamil kazutai meaning Donkey
• kera from . Tamil kuranggu meaning monkey
• kolam from . Tamil kuLam meaning pond
• kotak from . Tamil kottAn or kottA meaning a case
• kuil from . Tamil kOyil meaning temple
• kupang from . Tamil kuppam meaning a fishing hamlet

L

• logam from உலோகம் (ulōkam).

M

• mahligai from  (mALigai).
• Melayu from  (malaiyUr).
• mempelam from மாம்பழம் (māmpaḻam).
• misai from மீசை (mīcai).
• meja from  (mecha).

P

• permaisuri from பரமேஸ்வரி (paramēsvari).
• putera from  (puttiran).
• puteri from  (puttiri).
• putu from  (puttu).

S

• sarung from  (caaram).
• sate from சதை (catai).
• saudara from சகோதரா (cakōtarā).
• sepatu from  (cappAttu).
• suami from  (swami).
• sungai from சுனை (cuṉai).
• syurga from சுவர்க்கம் (cuvarkkam).

T

• taulan from தோழன் (tōḻaṉ).
• tirai from திரை (tirai).

U

• uai from ஔவை (auvai).
• ucap from உச்சரி (uccari).
• udara from உதானன் (utāṉaṉ).

References

• de Vries, Jan W., Grijns, C.D. and Santa Maria, L. 1983 Indonesian : a check-list of words of European origin in Indonesian and traditional Malay Leiden : Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde.Tharuma Prabu-Malaysian Indian ISBN 90-6718-004-1.
• The Extent of the Influence of Tamil on the Malay Language: A Comparative Study - Dr. T.Wignesan(This paper was given at the VIIIth World Tamil Studies Congress, held in the Tamil University in Tanjavur, India, on December-January 1994-95 Now published in the critical collection: T.Wignesan. Sporadic Striving amid Echoed Voices, Mirrored Images & Stereotypic Posturing in Malaysian-Singaporean Literatures. Allahabad: Cyberwit.net, 2008, xix-244p.)